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Friday, January 30, 2009

Item 101 on the 99+ Genealogy Things Meme is "Have done the genealogy happy dance." I was perplexed by this item as I'd never heard of the happy dance. A couple of kind persons made comments on my blog to explain this phenomenon.

Yes, I have done a subdued version of the genealogy happy dance on many occasions. My dances usuually consist of an involuntary "Yes" that causes other users in libraries or repositories that are as quiet as morgues to turn and look strangely at me. On occasion my outbursts have been accompanied by a vigorous punch of the air. Sometimes my dance is very static, I am just about struck dumb by the surprise I get when I uncover a genealogical gem.

Cemeteries in Australia and overseas have caused me to do my version of the happy dance when, on looking for the grave of an ancestor, I find that details of multiple interments are listed on the memorials and tombstones. In Rochdale, Lancs. I found that James Ball had two wives buried with him - a cosy threesome!. In Cobar, NSW I found the grave for an infant sister that my mother did not know about.

The Genes Reunited site, through which I have made contact with many cousins and subsequently broken down brick walls, been given certificates and photos and shared anecdotes has been the cause of much genealogical joy.

Through my internet site several cousins have contacted me. I was ecstatic when a distant cousin who made contact supplied me with a photo of my very stern looking Irish great-grandmother, Catherine Molloy. Only a few weeks later this cousin sadly passed away.

As a most rewarding hobby genealogy has given me many opportunities to do a happy dance.

As a user of TMG (The Master Genealogist) I have watched with interest reports of their annual genealogy cruises. One day I hope to join fellow users at this event.

Bob Velke has recently announced on listservs and on the TMG site details of the 2009 event that, in the light of present economic conditions, will be a less expensive "Land Cuise." After only two days the conference is already 20% subscribed. Although the program looks appealing I think that I will wait and hope for another cruise.

Our annual national day, Australia Day, is a public holiday that encourages us to reflect on what it is to be an Australian and about life in our beautiful land downunder and to rejoice in living in The Lucky Country.

The First Fleet of 11 ships that carried about 1500 people, half of whom were convicts, arrived in Sydney Harbour on 26 January 1788, and it is on this day every year that Australia Day is celebrated.

I wonder what our ancestors thought as they left their homes in England, Ireland and Scotland to sail to this distant and strange land. A dozen of my ancestors were convicts transported to Australia for petty crimes, some were young Irish lads and lasses, bounty (assisted) immigrants, who left home during the time of The Great Irish Potato Famine of the 1840’s. A couple were free settlers, people who traveled to Australia of their own free will in the hope of a better life.

Yesterday I spoke to a distant cousin, a 75 year old Scottish lady, who emigrated with her family in 1953. When they left Scotland food rationing was still in place; on arrival in Australia they could not belive the quality and quantity of food they were served at their first family lunch, she thought she was in heaven. She said that her parents never regretted leaving Scotland as they wanted a "better life" for their children and she felt that this goal had been achieved.

My 3rd great grandfather, Patrick Curry from Limerick in Ireland , arrived as a convict on the Hooghley in 1825. On 8th June 1848 The Sydney Morning Herald published an interview by Caroline Chisholm with Patrick on the advantages of emigration. Patrick felt that he was most fortunate to be in Australia.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

You can take part in research by Adelaide Thinker in Residence, Dr Genevieve Bell who will help shed light on our use of broadband and associated communication technologies in South Australia and beyond. If I was in SA I would love to take part in this study but, as a Sydneysider, I am ineligible.

Thanks, Thomas, for these great instructions. You have inspired me to log on to Google Maps and play. I am finding that creating a map is quite intuitive but am experiencing a great deal of frustration because the Google site is taking ages to locate my places and add them to my map. At the moment I am favouring two maps: the first identifying the places in Australia where our ancestors have entered and left this life and in second I will identify the places where our ancestors in the British Isles were born, lived, worked and died.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

In response to Weekly Genealogy Blogging Prompt #3 I am posting a photo of a family grave in Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney, NSW. One of Sydney's oldest cemeteries Rookwood has been operating since 1867, and is one of the largest cemeteries in Australia. It is managed by five separate demoninational Trusts and an independent Crematorium.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

As the only address I had for my father's distant cousins was Ballyfoyle, Kilkenny, Ireland I did not know where to find them when we arrived in the tiny village one wintry January day. Before leaving Australia we had done our homework and, from a Baptismal certificate we had for my great-grandmother, we knew that she had been baptised in Ballyfoyle.

After visiting the churches and cemeteries at Ballyfoyle and Muckalee in search of graves and being made most welcome by the priest at Muckalee who let us transcribe Kealy family details from the Church Registers we decided to try and find the cousins.

As dusk was approaching we called at the tiny Post Office where the clerk gave us directions to the cousins house. I was apprehensive about cold calling but my husband insisted that, as we had travelled from Australia, we should knock. We were given a royal welcome, plied with whisky and offered a bed for the night which we had to decline. Visiting the elderly cousins, who were thrilled to have dropins from Australia, gave us valuable information about our ancestors and an opportunity to sit at a table made by my great-great-grandfather.

Sitting in a room of the house that members of my family had used for over 200 years made me feel so connected to my heritage. It was an awesome experience.

Friday, January 16, 2009

I was recently complaining to a friend that my local library at Hornsby did not have a collection of photographs. Aghast my friend stated that the library certainly had such a collection so I did some searching and found, in the library catalogue, an option to search the Local Studies Photo Collection.

Information on the library site stated "Hundreds of local historical photographs can be viewed directly from the Library catalogue. Enter your search words and select the format "Photographs" in the Optional Search Filter."

Although the collection appears to be small I was delighted to find, by searching for our surname, two photographs of a family member; a placename search for Arcadia delivered one photograph of a rural subdivision that showed family lands in 1901.

Thanks Hornsby Library for providing this valuable local resource that I hope will grow over time

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

There was no snow in sight but it was a bitterly cold January day in 2006 when we went in search of the final resting place of my grandmother's first husband, John Bertram Chatfield, at Villers-Bretonneux. The chilling winds blowing across the French plains gave us an indication of the elements our Diggers faced on the battlefields of the Somme. My grandmother, Ethel Jane Pusell, was widowed at the age of 18 when her husband paid the ultimate price and was killed in action in May 1917. A digital copy of John's service record can be found at the National Archives of Australia.

We found no grave for John Chatfield, who had enlisted as John Williams, as his remains were never found. His name was one of a long list inscribed on a memorial panel in the cemetery.

Memorial Panels

Our winter visit to Villers-Bretonneux was a sobering experience that encouraged us to reflect on the courage of our soldiers and the futility of armed conflict.

Although the email I received half an hour ago states that this UK site will be live tomorrow I have just successfully searched for some ancestors in Rochdale. I have not yet purchased any credits to view the records.

Site info states "For 10 credits (which cost between 83p and £1.16, depending on the package you buy) you can view a full transcript of everyone in the household, or a whole page of an institution. This compares with £1 to view a whole household on the official 1901 site, which was launched seven years ago." Or "Viewing the images of the household pages uses 30 credits, which costs from £2.50 to £3.48, depending on the package of credits that you buy."

Saturday, January 10, 2009

This post is as a result of an idea from Amy Coffin at WeTree. She has come up with a series of 52 different blogging.prompts, one for each week of the year.For Week 1: Upload your favorite picture and talk about it on your blog. Answer the who/what/when/where/why of the subject matter and explain why it is your favorite.

The happy couple in this photo are my 2nd great-grandparents, Patrick Kealy and his wife, Catherine (nee Bowe). They lived in the village of Ballyfoyle, Kilkenny Ireland.

Only two of the children of Patrick (c 1810-1875) and Catherine Kealy (1821-1887 ) remained in Ireland; some of their descendants are still resident in Ballyfoyle.One by one the youngsters set off to seek their fortunes in new lands.

My Great-Grandmother, Mary Kealy, who married John D'arcy Tierney in Maitland and settled in Dungog, followed her brothers, Michael and Thomas, to Australia in 1877. Her sister, Alice, then followed in 1880.

Friday, January 9, 2009

I'd like to be able to use the Sharethis widget in my browser to post bits form other blogs to Blogger but it just won't work so I have to resort to copy and paste and that is inefficient. I have tried sharing withWordpress and Delicious and it works a treat. A search of the Sharethis Support page brings no joy neither does a Google search. I need help with this one.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

I wondered what they were; once again a simple Google search found it for me. Scattered amongst the links on this excellent US-centric resource are some resources that would be of value to genealogists in other countries.

When some of the kids presented me with a large screen digital photo frame for Christmas I wondered what I would do with it and where I'd put it. The gift-givers promptly found a home for it near a power outlet in the living room. I popped in the SD card I am currently using and the display of recent photos in the background amused us. I still thought of it as a bit of a nine day wonder!

Before our guests arrived for dinner a few nights ago my husband asked if I was going to put some photos in the frame. As I have all my scanned photos organised and tagged in Adobe Photoshop Elements it did not take me long to put together a collection of photos of the impending visitors and their family members and save it to an SD card.

On arrival the visitors said "Oh, did you get one of those for Christmas too?." They then started looking at the photos, after a while they realised that they were viewing a collection of photos from the last 42 years relating to their family. This was a great hit and gave us opportunities to recall shared family occasions and compare memories.

What a boon this new toy will be when aunts, cousins and other relations visit. I'll make it a practice to put together collections before they visit. It won't be too hard to pack the frame up and take it on visits to elderly relatives. No doubt these digital displays will jog memories and produce anecdotes to add richness to our family story.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Thanks to Becky over at Kinexxions for putting together this list and taking heed of my pleas for a few items with an internatonal flavour. Visitors to this blog (especially those from Australia) are encouraged to take part and pass it on to their geniemates.

The list should be annotated in the following manner:Things you have already done or found: bold face typeThings you would like to do or find: italicize (color optional)Things you haven’t done or found and don’t care to: plain type

Got lost on the way to a cemetery. (not my fault - husband just won't follow directions)

Talked to dead ancestors.

Researched outside the state in which I live.

Knocked on the door of an ancestral home and visited with the current occupants. (In Ireland knocked on door of farmhouse and found two third cousins once removed - they opened the precious whisky for us)

Cold called a distant relative.

Posted messages on a surname message board.

Uploaded a gedcom file to the internet.

Googled my name. (and those of ancestors and distant cousins)

Performed a random act of genealogical kindness.

Researched a non-related family, just for the fun of it.

Have been paid to do genealogical research.

Earn a living (majority of income) from genealogical research.

Wrote a letter (or email) to a previously unknown relative.

Contributed to one of the genealogy carnivals.

Responded to messages on a message board.

Was injured while on a genealogy excursion.

Participated in a genealogy meme.

Created family history gift items (calendars, cookbooks, etc.).

Performed a record lookup.

Took a genealogy seminar cruise.

Am convinced that a relative must have arrived here from outer space.

Found a disturbing family secret.

Told others about a disturbing family secret.

Combined genealogy with crafts (family picture quilt, scrapbooking).

Think genealogy is a passion not a hobby.

Assisted finding next of kin for a deceased person (Unclaimed Persons).

Taught someone else how to find their roots.

Lost valuable genealogy data due to a computer crash or hard drive failure. (Learnt my lesson years ago)

Been overwhelmed by available genealogy technology. (No way - just love it)

Know a cousin of the 4th degree or higher. (Found a new one on Genes Reunited today)

Disproved a family myth through research.

Got a family member to let you copy photos.

Used a digital camera to “copy” photos or records.

Translated a record from a foreign language.

Found an immigrant ancestor’s passenger arrival record.

Looked at census records on microfilm, not on the computer.

Used microfiche.

Visited the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. (Dragged the family to see The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, didn't have time for the Library :-(()

Visited more than one LDS Family History Center.

Visited a church or place of worship of one of your ancestors. (Lots -From Paisley Cathedral to English country chapels and bush churches in the outback)

Taught a class in genealogy.

Traced ancestors back to the 18th Century.

Traced ancestors back to the 17th Century.

Traced ancestors back to the 16th Century.

Can name all of your great-great-grandparents.

Found an ancestor’s Social Security application.

Know how to determine a soundex code without the help of a computer.

Used Steve Morse’s One-Step searches.

Own a copy of Evidence Explained by Elizabeth Shown Mills.

Helped someone find an ancestor using records you had never used for your own research.

Visited the main National Archives building in Washington, DC.

Visited the Library of Congress.

Have an ancestor who came over on the Mayflower. (Don't think the Mayflower came via Australia)

Have an ancestor who fought in the Civil War. (Which Civil War?)

Taken a photograph of an ancestor’s tombstone.

Became a member of the Association of Graveyard Rabbits.

Can read a church record in Latin. (Haven't needed to try yet - schoolgirl Latin may fail me)

Have an ancestor who changed their name.

Joined a Rootsweb mailing list.

Created a family website.

Have more than one "genealogy" blog.

Was overwhelmed by the amount of family information received from someone.

Have broken through at least one brick wall.

Visited the DAR Library in Washington D.C.

Borrowed microfilm from the Family History Library through a local Family History Center.

Have done indexing for Family Search Indexing or another genealogy project.

Visited the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Had an amazing serendipitous find of the "Psychic Roots" variety.

Have an ancestor who was a Patriot in the American Revolutionary War.

Have an ancestor who was a Loyalist in the American Revolutionary War.

Have both Patriot & Loyalist ancestors.

Have used Border Crossing records to locate an ancestor.

Use maps in my genealogy research.

Have a convict ancestor who was transported from the UK. (More than 10 of my ancestors got a free passage to the lucky country)

Found a bigamist amongst the ancestors.

Visited the National Archives in Kew. (Held the 180 year old surgeon's jounral from an ancestor's voyage and read entries abt the ancestor)

Visited St. Catherine's House in London to find family records.

Found a cousin in Australia (or other foreign country).

Consistently cite my sources.

Visited a foreign country (i.e. one I don't live in) in search of ancestors. (On more than one occsion)

Buried deep within the City of Sydney website is a useful database. "The Assessment Books record details of ownership, occupation, construction, and value for buildings in the City of Sydney between 1845 and 1948. They provide valuable information for family and property history which is not available from any other source."

Since I posted the 99 things Meme last week a number of Genea-Bloggers have joined the fun and completed the meme. I initially posted the meme because it was a simple bit of fun but, on reflection, I can see it as a valuable family history resource that adds to the story of those who complete it

I was thrilled to see this morning that Becky over at Kinexxions has started compiling a '99 Genealogy Things Meme' with contributions from other bloggers. I hope that Becky gets more than 99 suggestions for items so that she can do some editing and make the meme have international appeal so that it can be enjoyed by genealogists in all countries. Perhaps we need two memes - one for the US and one for the rest of us!

"Just reminding those that make use of the NSW Births, Deaths & Marriages Indexes online at http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/familyHistory/search.htm that as of the New Year, the index has been updated accordingly. Births can now be searched upto and including 1908; marriages 1958 and deaths 1978"

I am a longtime fan and member of various Rootsweb Mailing Lists. Although these lists are an older IT application they provide a valuable service for family historians. The site states "RootsWeb's mailing lists can help you find information about your ancestors and connect you with people who have research interests similar to yours."

There are presently over 30,000 lists that cover a huge range of interests. One can browse the list of lists via the main categories: surname, USA, international and other, to find one that suits an interest or one can search for a list. Non-listers are also able to search the list archives for content.

Friday, January 2, 2009

I just had an email from NSW Transcription agent, Marilyn Rowan, in regards to her free researcher matching service. It seems as though someone else has ordered a certificate that I had previously ordered for an ancestor and Marilyn was asking for my permission to give my contact details to the other researcher. I look forward to making contact with this person.